Volunteer

Volunteers play a critical role in providing community assistance and delivering food and essentials to those in need throughout Howard County. Serve at one of our in-person distribution sites, food pantry, help with inventory, or lend support wherever is most needed.​

There are many opportunities at the CCC Pantry Headquarters in Long Reach Village Center

Volunteer Sign Ups

Volunteer Info

🫜 CCC Garden Plot

CCC’s Freetown Farm Garden Plot shifts will be:

Sign up here and select “General Volunteer” for the section on “What group are you volunteering with?”

See Frequently Asked Questions for more info!

🧺 Donation Sorters (at CCC HQ)

Help us keep our community donations organized and ready for families in need! As a Donation Sorter, you’ll assist with sorting, checking for expired items, labeling, and organizing incoming food, household goods, and other supplies at the Columbia Community Care (CCC) headquarters. Volunteers should be prepared to lift light to medium boxes, work collaboratively, and maintain a clean and orderly space. Comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes are recommended. Your work ensures that donations get to community members quickly and efficiently!

🚗 Donation Bin Pickup

Thank you for helping us transport donations from our community collection bins to the CCC building or storage sites! Volunteers will pick up donations from:

  • Bethel Korean Presbyterian Church — 3165 St. Johns Ln, Ellicott City, MD 21042

  • BA Auto Care — 9577 Berger Rd, Columbia, MD 21045

After collecting items, please drop them off at our CCC Headquarters (directions in the sign up!). You’ll need access to a vehicle with enough space for bags and boxes of donations. This role is perfect for volunteers who like being on the move and want to directly support CCC’s logistics!

🥕 In-Person Food Distribution Sites

Join our team on the front lines of community care! Volunteers at our in-person food distribution sites help set up tables, unpack and arrange food donations, assist community members as they select items, and help with breakdown and cleanup at the end of the shift. Tasks may include restocking tables, carrying bags, and keeping the site clean and welcoming.

At CCC, we honor the inherent dignity of every human being. Volunteers help create a space where every family feels seen, heard, and truly welcome. Your presence ensures our neighbors receive not only food, but compassion and respect. Comfortable attire and a warm smile are a must!

🛒 Shopping & Delivery Volunteer

As a Shopping and Delivery Volunteer, you will gather groceries and essentials from our pantry headquarters in Long Reach Village Center and deliver the order to your assigned family. You will work with the assistance of assigned translators / dispatch volunteers to fulfill orders efficiently and reduce errors. Translator communication is a core component of the order confirmation and pickup process and includes clear checkpoints to ensure orders are accurate and ready before volunteers arrive at our pantry. Review the process overview and video below for more information about what volunteering in this position is like!

✅ Process Overview

    • When signing up for the shopping program, volunteers will receive an email containing:
      • The order details for the families they will be supporting
      • The contact information of their assigned translator.
    • Volunteers are instructed to text their translator when they are on the way to the pantry.
    • Upon messaging the translator, volunteers receive a confirmation text indicating that their orders have been verified.
    • It is essential to confirm that all orders are confirmed before proceeding.
    • Communication with the translator is a critical step in the process.

🌍 Delivery Translator / Dispatch Volunteer

Help ensure that families across our community receive their food deliveries with care, accuracy, and dignity — all from the comfort of your own home!

As a Delivery Translator / Dispatch Volunteer, you’ll serve as the connection between CCC’s volunteer shoppers and families who are receiving deliveries. Using your phone, you’ll contact families to confirm addresses, delivery times, and language preferences, then communicate updates to the volunteer shoppers assigned to you. This position is remote, flexible, and vital to making sure every delivery reaches the right doorstep. Please read position instructions in its entirety within the sign up form. 

CCC HQ Operating Hours

Wednesday and Friday: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Saturday: 9:30am – 12:30pm

We are located in the BACK parking lot entrance. When you turn on Cloudleap Court, continue straight past the main village center area, past Deli Town and turn left just before the Timbers Apartment complex. Follow the wooden fence around and you’ll see the back entrance to suite 107.

💬 Volunteer FAQs

Yes! We love welcoming families to volunteer together. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Youth ages 14 and older are welcome to volunteer on their own as long as they are self-sufficient, follow directions, and are ready to lend a helping hand.

We ask volunteers to commit to the entire shift whenever possible. Each part of the day — from setup to distribution to breakdown — is essential to making sure the site runs smoothly and efficiently. The cleanup period at the end especially needs everyone’s help to reset the space for future use.

Please wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing and closed-toe shoes. Bring a water bottle and be ready to move, lift light boxes, and spend time both indoors and outdoors. A warm smile and positive attitude are the most important things you can bring!

Yes, please sign up ahead of time using our SignUp.com link above. This helps us plan staffing, supplies, and food distribution more effectively. If you can’t make your shift, let us know as soon as possible so we can fill your spot.

Absolutely! We welcome community groups, school clubs, workplaces, and faith organizations. To make sure we can accommodate your group and assign meaningful tasks, please email us in advance before bringing more than 5 people.

No special training is required. You’ll get a brief orientation when you arrive and work alongside experienced CCC volunteers who will guide you through the process.

🫜 CCC Garden FAQs

The Columbia Community Care Garden Plot is part of Freetown Farm, where volunteers grow fresh vegetables, herbs, and flowers that help provide healthy, nutritious food for local families. Everything we grow supports Columbia Community Care’s mission of increasing access to fresh produce for our community.

Anyone who enjoys working outdoors and wants to support food access in Howard County is welcome! Whether you’re an experienced gardener or have never planted a seed before, we’ll provide guidance and work alongside you.

Not at all. Volunteers of every experience level are welcome. Our volunteer leaders will explain each task and help you learn as you go.

Volunteer activities vary throughout the growing season and may include:

  • Planting seedlings and seeds
  • Weeding garden beds
  • Watering crops
  • Harvesting produce
  • Spreading compost or mulch
  • Trellising and supporting plants
  • General garden maintenance
  • Seasonal cleanup and preparing beds

No two volunteer days are exactly the same.

The CCC Garden Plot is located within Freetown Farm in Columbia, Maryland. Please check your volunteer confirmation for parking and arrival instructions.

All volunteers must register through Community Ecology Institute’s Better Impact volunteer system before attending their first shift.

Once your volunteer application has been approved, you’ll be able to register for available volunteer opportunities.

No. All volunteers must register in advance through Better Impact. This helps ensure appropriate staffing, safety, and supplies for each volunteer session.

Please dress for outdoor farm work.

We recommend:

  • Closed-toe shoes or boots
  • Comfortable clothing that can get dirty
  • Layers for changing weather
  • A hat for sun protection
  • Sunscreen
  • Work gloves if you have them (some may be available onsite)

Bring:

  • A reusable water bottle
  • Weather-appropriate clothing
  • Gardening gloves (optional)
  • A positive attitude and willingness to learn!

Light rain often doesn’t stop garden work.

If severe weather requires cancellation, volunteers will be notified through Better Impact or by the volunteer coordinator.

Children are welcome when accompanied by a responsible adult, provided the volunteer activity is appropriate for their age and abilities. Adults are responsible for supervising children at all times.

Yes! Community groups, businesses, schools, faith organizations, and other groups are encouraged to volunteer. Group volunteer opportunities are coordinated separately through Community Ecology Institute.

The produce grown in the Columbia Community Care Garden Plot is harvested and distributed to families served by Columbia Community Care, helping increase access to fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Many gardening tasks can be adapted to different abilities. If you have accessibility needs or questions before volunteering, please let us know so we can work with you to find appropriate tasks whenever possible.

Freetown Farm is a shared community space managed by the Community Ecology Institute. Volunteers are expected to:

  • Treat fellow volunteers, staff, and visitors with respect.
  • Stay within designated work areas.
  • Follow instructions from volunteer leaders.
  • Use tools safely and return them after use.
  • Respect the plants, wildlife, and property.
  • Supervise any children in their care.
  • Leave the garden cleaner than you found it.

For everyone’s safety, pets, alcohol, tobacco, and weapons are not permitted on the property.

Our mission goes beyond providing food—we believe everyone deserves access to fresh, healthy produce. Growing food together strengthens our community, teaches valuable skills, and helps ensure that local families receive nutritious vegetables harvested at their peak.

Every volunteer makes that possible.

Thank you for helping us grow food & community.